The Impact and Legacy of Influential Performance artists

Art can be more formally defined and identified in multiple ways — its possibilities are virtually limitless. Performance art differs from other types of art, like painting and sculpting. One must observe it and be immersed in it.
To adequately analyze performance art, it is important to acquaint one’s self with what it is and how it became what it is today. What makes performance art different from other types of art?

performance artists

August 27, 2024

Daryna Markova

contributor DOM Art Residence

Performance art is art that is performed live, in front of an audience, and in the presence of spectators. This can mean plays, dancing, singing, or anything that may depict a feeling or an idea that the artist wants to express. Performance can manifest in various ways and does not necessarily have to be limited. Any media, starting with the video, installations, text, and conceptual idea, can be used in the performance. The idea is to interact with the viewer and create a unique experience.

Marina Abramović has expressed her opinions on performance art and its purpose in diverse interviews. To her perception, performance art is an art form that is unique as well as innovative since it is not like typical forms of art and interacts more with the audience on a psychological and physiological level. In the context of Abramović, performance art is an action, an attempt to try the endurance of the human body and mind, a confrontation between the artist and the audience.

For her, performance art is a process of provoking and destabilizing the performer’s and the spectators’ ways of thinking and feeling. One of her main ideas, which is linked to performing, is "presence", the ability to be wholly present in the present moment during the show. Abramović thinks that such interaction entails an exceptional, positive change for both the performer and the spectators. Performance art is focused on giving a single experience that cannot be repeated.

Theatrical styles were the first of performance art, and at the beginning of the 20th century, Dadaism and Surrealism presented the first experiments of this sort, having appeared under the influence of cabarets and manifestos.
They paved the way for what was next, particularly because each art movement had an element of the progressive. Like pop art, which turned its back on Abstract Expressionism in the 1950s and ‘60s, performance art turned its back on what was happening in the art world. Pop art is a type of art that seeks a reference point in the outside world. Performance art is all about trying to convey a message through a physical gesture. This is known as action art or, more inclusively, artistic action.
Performance art was most popular during the period of counterculture. Several of the then-thriving and more famous performance artists were of different origins, while others were members of Fluxus or students of the same college, such as Black Mountain College. Some of those, or similar groups, continue to perform or remain popular today.

Performance art has been advanced to new levels by pioneer artists whose artworks are creatively beyond conventional art limits or definitions. All performance artists presented here have contributed greatly to the development of the field, advancing performance and challenging audiences in their performances.

Marina Abramović, born in 1946, is a Serbian performance artist recognized as one of the most important personalities in art nowadays. Her activity repertoire has been demonstrating the possibilities of performance art for the last 40 years.

Notable Works:

• "The Artist is Present" (2010). At the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), Abramović spent more than 700 hours sitting at a table where visitors are welcome to sit across from her. This performance became a powerful exploration of human connection and presence. Probably one of the most touching incidents in the show was when former boyfriend Ulay came. Ulay and Abramović were lovers and artistic collaborators. In 1988, they parted ways and officially ended their relationship. Throughout "The Artist is Present," Ulay was opposite Abramović for one minute. Their meeting was rather emotional and both of them cried.

• "Rhythms Series" (1970–1971). In this series of performances, including "Rhythm 0," Abramović arranged 72 objects on the table, with the invitation for the audience to act towards her in whatever way they desired. The objects ranged from innocent items such as feathers and flowers to lethal items like a gun and a knife. She put herself in various perils, showing the extreme possibilities of her own body and, consequently, the ethical impact of the spectators on art.

Abramović’s work has altered the ways that the artistic body and performance strategies form the aesthetic innovations in the art. Marina has significantly contributed to the modernist art tradition to become one of the most significant performance artists of the past three decades.

Joseph Beuys, born in 1921, is a German artist who performed using "actions" that belonged to conceptual as well as political art. Some of his work involved using props and playing out mini-dramas on the street. This was meant to depict a certain viewpoint on society.

Notable Works:

• "I Like America and America Likes Me" (1974). Joseph Beuys locked himself in a gallery space for three days with a real coyote. Such an idea was staged to emphasize communication, isolation, and symbolic connections between people and animals. The coyote, an animal that is considered to be a predator, is used by Beuys to represent the opposition of the natural world and the use of language by various forms of life.

• "The Pack" (1969). Beuys used a Volkswagen car loaded with sleds and other articles. This performance featured a theatrical act where Beuys used sign language and signs to address the people. The concept of the van and sleds prevailed on concepts of movement and transportation, as well as the possibilities of change.

From Beuys’ work, some vital shifts have evolved concerning art and political activism, as well as the artistic interpretation of the concept in the framework of performative art.

Yoko Ono, born in 1933, is a Japanese multimedia artist and musician credited for her performance art and conceptual art, which often involve members of the audience as she strongly believes in art change.
ion.

Notable Works:

• "Cut Piece" (1964). Another shocking performance was when Yoko Ono encouraged the audience to come up on the stage and use scissors to cut her clothes. Ono appeared on the stage dressed in a beautiful and simple glamorous dress, and while the show was going on, the audience was invited to participate in the slicing process. The performance was very provocative and highlighted the issues of trust and exposure on the stage between the performer and the audience. Ono’s idea of cutting her clothes in front of the audience signified the issues of vulnerability that the artist faced and the amount of faith that is required from an individual to perform such actions.

• "Work Piece" (1963–1964). This work involved engaging people in activities such as walking and writing, stressing the communal aspect of art-making. For Ono, "Work Piece" embodied her concept that people are interrelated and that art may offer the audience an opportunity to create meaning together.

Ono’s approach has determined how performance art engages the audience and introduces conceptual thoughts to the general acceptance of art and personal liberation.

Ana Mendieta, born in 1948, is a well-known Cuban-American artist whose focus is performance pieces that incorporate concepts relating to nature and the self. Here is a list of the main topics she deals with in her performances: female power, alienation, and corporeal topography.

Notable Works:

• "Silueta Series" (1973–1988). The “Silueta Series” is a series of works in which Ana Mendieta captures her body imprints on the natural background. The imprints were produced through natural materials such as earth, sand, and water. Mendieta used her own body to signify how people impact nature in her work.

• "Rape Scene" (1973). This performance involved Mendieta arranging an actual scene that depicts an explicit rape episode. Instead of using strangers, she used her own body. It was a provocative performance that received extreme reactions from viewers and critics. Through her work, Mendieta shows an idea of violence and helplessness.

Mendieta’s work has centered on the body, the relationship between the performers and the environment, and the cultural self. It was significant for postmodern feminism, performance art, and stories of hybrid identities.

Carolee Schneemann, born in 1939, is an American artist whose work focuses on performance art in the sphere of the feminist movement. Her performances deal with such sensitive topics as gender, sex, and the body.

Notable Works:

• "Interior Scroll" (1975). Provocatively, by taking out a scroll of her vagina, Schneemann, reciting a feminist manifesto, challenged the conventional depiction of women's sexuality. The "Interior Scroll" became significant in the feminist art movement. It was one of the first demonstrations broadening the meaning of performance art and touching on the questions of gender and sexual orientation.
• "Meat Joy" (1964). In "Meat Joy," Schneemann was involved in other performers’ actions, which included intense physical and erotic interactions. The performers rubbed raw meat on their bodies, painted themselves, acted sexually provocatively towards each other and staged an unarranged disorderliness that was combined with eroticism.

Schneemann’s work has been highly significant in growing the area of feminist performance art and eradicating stereotypical views of women.

Chris Burden, born in 1946 in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, was famous for his harrowing and frequently reckless performances, which focused on the concepts of adroitness, fortitude, and the human body. His work often depicted the subject’s ability to withstand physical and psychological stress.

Notable Works:

• "Shoot" (1971). In this shocker piece, the artist creates a startling scene where an assistant fires a handgun at the artist’s arm. Burden arranged for a 22-calibre rifle to be fired at his left arm from a distance of about 15 feet. The performance was carefully planned so that Burden and his assistant would not be harmed.

• "Trans-Fixed" (1974). Burden was tied with his hands above the roof of the Volkswagen Beetle with nails driven through his hands, simulating the crucifixion of Christ. A car was then driven slowly around the parking lot. The reactions that the piece evoked among the audience were a mix of shock and awe.

Burden’s work has been a help in changing the perspective on what is safe, what the limit is as to what one can do in performance art, and the way it incorporates the audience.

Nam June Paik was born in 1932 in Seoul, South Korea. The Korean-American artist is often credited for his early interest and significant contributions to video art as well as multiple media performances. He was a technological artist who presented several innovations that shook society’s perception of art.

Notable Works:

• "TV Buddha" (1974). The artwork is comprised of a statue of Buddha set in front of a television screen. The TV shows a live broadcast of the Buddha statue itself, which then results in an endless loop of one statue looking at the other. The installation focuses on aspects of observation and the concept of presence in the context of present technologies. It explores what aspects of media and technology precipitate the distortion and alteration of perception and the self.

• "Good Morning, Mr. Orwell" (1984). Nam June Paik’s "Good Morning, Mr. Orwell" is a video art performance that addresses the impacts and effects of media and technology in society. The piece was aired in direct response to a New Year's Day broadcast by the American television network, which showcased a satellite broadcast across the world.

Paik changed the concern of media and technology in performance art significantly by elucidating how these tools can be integrated into the art.

Ai Weiwei, born in 1957, is a Chinese contemporary artist and activist who incorporates performance art into social and political crises. His works often depict rebellion against oppression and call for human rights and free speech.

Notable Works:

• "Sunflower Seeds" (2010). This specific installation was made with millions of hand-crafted porcelain sunflower seeds. The seeds were designed by masters in the city of Jingdezhen, which has a particular specialization in porcelain making.

• "Study of Perspective" (1995-2011). The artist targets political and social issues in the series of photographs where Ai Weiwei is given the middle finger at major attractions and structures.

The performances and installations by Ai Weiwei have depicted the importance of artwork in politics and social justice, focusing on global issues.

Allan Kaprow (1927), an American artist, was the founder of "happenings," that is, spontaneous and interactive events with elements of performance pieces. The latter broke the path for today’s trends within the context of modern performance art, such as audience participation.

Notable Works:

• "18 Happenings in 6 Parts" (1959). It is one of Allan Kaprow’s first pieces of Happenings, a type of postmodern performance art that focuses on the concepts of improvisation, interaction, and the intertwining of the artistic experience with real life. The piece was divided into six parts, each containing three actions or events.

• "Household" (1964). Kaprow encouraged people to perform mundane tasks in a domestic context, making art and life fusions.

By one measure, Kaprow affected what has emerged as a major concept in today’s performance art, wherein interaction and immediate, spontaneous occurrences come to the fore.

Considered to be a pioneer of performance and conceptual art. Oppenheim’s work focused on issues such as body, space, and physical presence and influenced the development of post-object.

Notable Works:

• "Reading Position for Second Degree Burn" (1970). Burden spread hot coals on the floor of the gallery and laid over the coals in a reading pose. The act consisted of his remaining immobile and reading a book while being roasted with hot coals beneath him. It was meant to challenge his tenacity concerning pain and discomfort during a performance.

• "Time Capsules" (1973–1975). Burden created several time capsules that they filled with personal effects, papers, items of different natures, and many others. Some of the capsules were planted on the artist’s premises, while other performance pieces were planted in other public spaces.

Palestinian artist Mona Hatoum, born in 1952, focuses on issues of displacement and conflict and the concept of identity. Her performances personalize these problems using her own body and everyday items.

Notable Works:

• "Measures of Distance" (1988). The video performance is based on a collection of shots showing Hatoum’s mother and actual scenes from her life, accompanied by text and narration. The work reflects the emotional and physical disconnection of the artist from her family, but especially the mother-daughter bond.

• "Hot Spot" (2006). An installation that was a heated globe, aiming at contemplating the theme of global war and refugees.

Mona Hatoum has caused awareness of conflict and individuality through performance art with socio-political themes.

Tino Sehgal, born in 1976, is an English artist who works in the trend of "constructed situations." In his art, there is the place of the performances, which involve the use of spectators as actors and improvisations that appeal to the emotions and thoughts of the audience.

Notable Works:

• "This Progress" (2006). It is a performance art piece where the audience is challenged into a performance of constructed discussions. The subjects that are presented closely relate to economics, progress, and the role of development in society.

• "Kiss" (2003). In Sehgal’s piece, performers relate to the visitors in an intimate and casual manner. The "Kiss" was not captured in the conventional mediums of video or photography. The performance was unique and happened only in the present, in front of the audience and the performers.

Sehgal has questioned conventional perceptions of art, insisting that discussion is the art form’s main component.

Laurie Anderson (1947) is a distinguished performer and composer famous for the utilization of performance art, music, media technology, and storytelling.

Notable Works:

• "O Superman" (1981). This innovative performance incorporated the genres of spoken word, electronic music, and other dramatic features to express aspects of information and political utterance. The piece received much appreciation and thereby helped display Anderson’s performance art style.

• "United States" (1983–1984). It was a theatrical play that incorporated elements of narration, singing, and one's own captivating videos, which focused on such themes as American culture and politics intertwining segments.

Anderson's use of multimedia in her performances has inspired the modern performance art movement. Laurie thinks her work is important and useful for future generations. She looks for new ways to tell stories and share experiences through art using technology, storytelling, and performance.

Performance art is an important aspect of modern art that has revolutionized our understanding of art-making. Thanks to this peculiarity, it has widened the traditional definitions of such genres as painting, sculpture, and theatre, turning art into a process of communication and search.
This brought new horizons to art, where artists could think and convey issues like identity, societal norms, and politics all through their own bodies as their main canvas. It provided the viewer with ways of becoming an active participant in the artistic process, altering the viewer's mode from spectator to actor.
It was largely due to specific pioneers like Marcel Duchamp, Allan Kaprow, Yoko Ono, Marina Abramovich, and many others that performance art impacted the art of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. They introduced ideas of experimentation, creativity, and interaction to this type of art, which allowed performance art to stay open to cultural and technological changes.